It's About, Life
by lalatina15
Summary: Everything seemed perfect for Miranda back in Hillridge, until a piece of news changed all that around. So she runs to New York to seek comfort, hoping to leave all her problems back at home. (chap 3 up....finally)
1. Remembering Reasons Why

a/n: so i own nothin that has to do w/ lizzie mcguire. tho i guess u can say i do own them peoples in here u aint kno, but thats all. hope u enjoy. r/r yall =)  
  
_**It's About, Life  
**_  
Chapter 1:  
  
The yellow taxi slowly made its way down third avenue, one of New York City's many busy streets. It was pouring on the surfaces of the taxi and the heavy rain's humidity fogged up the windows. The skies were gray and roaring with thunder, it definitely being one of those days in which it was best to stay home and admire the rain from the inside.  
  
Inside the taxi sat a very exhausted Miranda Sanchez, who, if it wasn't for the various city lights and noises making their way into the vehicle, would be sleeping at the moment after a very long day. But, her thoughts could not focus on the fact that she was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, or on how wonderful the smell of the rain was and its timeless beauty. Her mind was still focused on past events that had gone on in her home state of California, as much as many of those memories she would love to forget.  
  
At a time, things had been going so well back in California. Miranda was attending the University of California at Berkeley, majoring in Music Performance, and living on campus, only about and hour and a half away from home in Hillridge. She loved the school, she loved her classes, she loved the town, she loved everything about her life. Truly, if you asked her if she could imagine her life anywhere else, she wouldn't be able to answer. Like true best friends, her and her long time best friend Elizabeth McGuire, better known as Lizzie, still kept in contact. They called each other about every other day and made it a point to see each other at least once a month during the school year. Lizzie attended the University of California at Los Angeles, her dream school. There she was majoring in Social Welfare, determined to find a way to fix the world. She was still Lizzie. So things were going well--before.  
  
So many memories that Miranda would love to forget, but at the moment were all she could really think about…  
  
_Miranda sat patiently as she waited for the doctor to come back into the room. Deep down inside she was nervous about what news he had to tell her, but she didn't want to show that on the exterior. So she sat there, waiting for Dr. Louise Martin to come back with whatever news she had to tell her, maybe news that could possibly change her life.  
  
Finally the doctor made her way back, and slowly took her seat in front of Miranda. Looking directly at her patient she removed her glasses, set them at the top of her head, and then folded her hands. She began, "now Miranda, I would just like to say that these results are completely accurate." She sighed. "And if you would like a second opinion, I would understand."  
  
After those words, Miranda couldn't take looking at her doctor anymore. She was afraid of what she was about to tell her next. From what she had just said, she knew that whatever was to come next couldn't be good at all. One million and one possibilities ran through her mind as to what would be said next. She raised her head to look at the doctor once again, already with tears welled up in her eyes, just out of fear about what she was about to hear. "Even though I might regret asking this in the near future…I know that you're going to tell me anyway. So, um, the results…the results said--"  
  
"Yes, they're in. It's confirmed, you…"_  
  
Miranda couldn't bear to even have that memory in her head. Just remembering that meeting with the doctor brought a pain to her heart and tears to her eyes. Since that time her life completely changed, and she had been living with those results ever since.  
  
_After a long tiring day Miranda found herself walking back home. She needed some rest and couldn't wait until she reached her room for a quick nap. As she approached her home she found her boyfriend on the front porch. He went by the name of Michael Cruz and they had been dating for three months after meeting at UC Berkeley's choral group. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked him.  
  
"Oh, hey, I was just waiting for you…" he had told her as he grabbed both her hands and gave her a kiss. "I, uh, was hoping we could talk."  
  
"Talk?" she questioned.  
  
"Yeah, is that, uh, OK?" he asked her, trying to approach things carefully.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sure," Miranda tried to smile. "Um, sit down."  
  
As they both sat down Michael took in a deep breath and took his time trying to choose his words carefully while looking into his girlfriend's eyes. "Uh, Miranda, I been doing a lot of thinking lately…"  
  
"Yeah, about what?"  
  
"About us. And…I think we should see other people…"  
  
Quickly Miranda's brows shot down and she took back her hands from his grip. "What do you mean, 'see other people' Michael? There's no one else I want to 'see' but you!"  
  
He explained by saying, "it means that…I've found someone else."  
  
She could not believe what she was hearing. The only man she wanted to be with had just told her that he did not want to be with her anymore. That he wanted to see other people, and he had already found that other person. With everything that she had been going through lately, she always thought that he would be able to rely back on him for comfort. But it seemed as though she had been mistaken.  
  
Miranda folded her arms, got up, and asked, "is she pretty?" She tried to hide the fact that she was hurt and that tears had already welled up in her eyes, because she didn't want him to see her "be weak."  
  
"Miranda, come on, don't make this harder than it is…" Michael tried to tell her as he came up behind her and attempted to put his arms around her, but she quickly shoved them off and turned around to face him.  
  
"How can you say 'don't make this harder than it is' huh? Because what, this is easy for me? Oh, my boyfriend wants to screw around with some other girl, but it's all good? No! It's not!"  
  
"Miranda--"  
  
"God! J-just go!" she yelled at him. "I'm not going to get in the way of you being happy…even if it's not with me."_  
  
They had been together for four months by that time. It wasn't exactly love what they felt for each other, but they did care deeply for one another and were in a very serious and committed relationship. The last thing any of them thought was that they would break up so soon.  
  
_"Miranda!" Lizzie had squealed as she saw her best friend. They were both finally back in their hometown of Hillridge, and had agreed to see each other first thing. Lizzie was especially excited to see her best friend because she had very excited news to share. They had decided to meet up at Lizzie's house like old times and catch up.  
  
"Ay Lizzie! It's so good to see you!" Miranda told her, sighing as they embraced. "How are you? How is Eddie?" Edward Curtis, better known as Eddie, had been Lizzie's boyfriend for the past year.  
  
"Oh, he's fine. I'm fine. We're all great," Lizzie said giddily. "And I can't stop smiling…oh my God." She took a seat on the couch next to Miranda.  
  
"He makes you happy, doesn't he?"  
  
"Yes, yes he does! So much!" Lizzie told her, never losing her smile. She took her purse and pulled out a small envelope. "Here. I wanted you to be one of the first…"  
  
"Lizzie, what is this?"  
  
"Open it."  
  
Slowly Miranda opened the envelope and pulled out the small, fancy pink laced card that was inside. As she read over it her eyes grew wider and exclaimed, "Oh my God Lizzie! You-you-you're getting married!"  
  
All Lizzie could do was nod her head with excitement as she embraced her best friend once again.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Miranda asked.  
  
"I just wanted to wait until everything was for certain, because…that's not the only thing…" Miranda's face grew puzzled as she awaited for Lizzie to tell her what was going on. "I'm pregnant."  
  
"What? Wow! How far along are you?"  
  
"Seven weeks."  
  
"Lizzie, this is amazing! I can't believe it. You're getting married and you're going to have a baby too…I'm so happy for you! This is unbelievable. As my best friend, you deserve all the happiness in the world, trust me."  
  
"But that's not all…"  
  
"Lizzie, what else could there possibly be that you need to tell me?" Miranda laughed.  
  
"Well…I want you to be my maid of honor."  
  
All Miranda could do was just look at Lizzie blankly.  
  
"Miranda, did you hear me? I want you to be my maid of honor!" Lizzie repeated to her best friend once more as she shook her, trying to get her attention.  
  
"Uh, um. Yeah, yeah. I heard you. But I, um…I-I, I can't. Uh, I, I gotta go…" Miranda managed to get out as she quickly got up from the couch and headed for the door.  
  
"Miranda!"  
  
It was too late, she was gone._  
  
The time with Lizzie was especially painful, as pleasant as it may have seemed. It just brought many realities to Miranda's world, making it really hard for her to cope with them on top of everything else that was going on around her. She just couldn't bare with it all.  
  
_"Miranda, what are you doing?" Miranda's mother, Daniella Sanchez, questioned her daughter.  
  
There Miranda stood, over her bed, throwing in several things from her closet into a suitcase. Most of the things she didn't even care to fold, she just threw into the suitcase and quickly headed for something else.  
  
As she threw more clothing into her suitcase Miranda simply told her mother, "I'm leaving."  
  
"What? Pero mija, where? Why?" Ms. Sanchez asked in confusion. She couldn't fathom why her daughter had wanted to leave all of a sudden, without warning, to leave everything behind.  
  
"I-I-I just can't stay here anymore," her daughter let out as she held a bag and threw all her things from her vanity table into them. "I'm going to New York."  
  
"But how? You can't just make a decision like this on a spur of the moment…on a whim. You need to think this through!"  
  
"Mami," Miranda started, as she zipped up her suitcase and then walked over to her mother. "I've already made my decision. I'm taking the 9:35am to Las Vegas, and from there I take the 11:50am to New York. I've already reserved my tickets."  
  
"But how are you going to be taken care of? You need to stay here where--"  
  
"I'll be taken care of well in New York…please, don't worry mami."  
  
"I can't let you go mija…"  
  
"Please, can you just give me a hug and a kiss and say 'goodbye'?" Miranda sadly asked her mother. "I wanna get a head start on getting out of here…"  
  
"Mija…"  
  
Miranda wrapped her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly, releasing a few tears in the process. She whispered, "I love you mami," into her mother's ear.  
  
"I love you too Miranda," Daniella told her daughter as she grabbed her things. "And just promise me…promise me, you'll come back to me, alive."_  
  
'…Promise me, you'll come back to me, alive.' Those words echoed in Miranda's ears. To come back to her, alive? She sighed. That's something none of us could ever guarantee, because life was so unpredictable. She only wished that she could comply with that promise to her mother.  
  
The taxi that carried Miranda suddenly made a stop after reaching 46 East 12th street, which laid between Broadway and University Avenues in Manhattan. She quickly looked out the window, onto the building labeled 46, staring at its ten floors.  
  
"That'll be $33 ma'am. Flat rate from JFK," the cabbie told Miranda. She quickly reached into her purse and handed him three ten dollar bills and three dollar bills.  
  
Just before zipping up her purse once again she handed him another three dollars. "Tip," she told him with a bit of a smile.  
  
"Thank you," he responded as he got out of the cab. She did the same and followed him to the trunk. There he pulled out her suitcase and told her, "have a good night ma'am."  
  
She gave him a half smile as she took her suitcase and trotted it pass a motorcycle that separated her from the block in which the building lied. Once she made it through, she made her way through the building's entrance, onto the elevator, and onto the third floor.  
  
"Apartment thirty-two…thirty-two" she told herself as she lugged her suitcase through the hall of the building. When she finally found the apartment she was looking for, she set her suitcase down, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.  
  
After about a minute the door creaked open, and on the other side stood a very surprised male. His piercing blue eyes drew wide and his lips let out a "Miranda!"  
  
Once she saw him Miranda couldn't help but smile at his unforgettable presence. "Um, hey Gordo."  
a/n well, thats all, hope yall review and tell me what yall think. i have chap two down, pero, ill see if yall wanna check it out ;) -joa 


	2. the Welcoming

a/n: i STILL own nothing guys  
  
i also want to thank EVERYONE who left a review, and even those of you who read it and didnt review it, yall dont even kno how much it means to me, i didnt really expect any--but hey, i was wrong ;) thanks again guys!  
  
oh yeah! i DO NOT have the rights to the CD "todo a su tiempo" or it's song "hasta ayer" thank u  
  
  
Chapter 2:  
  
Gordo, born David Zephyr Gordon, was the one who stood there on the other side of the door frame.  The other best friend to Miranda.  He was the one who got the full scholarship to New York University.  The big apple attracted him, so he decided to move there and pursue his career in film making by majoring in Film/Cinema.  Since he didn't have to pay for school, the money saved for his college education was now being used to pay for his apartment.  He worked at an on-campus job during the fall/spring semesters, and worked on his filming during the winter/summer seasons.  Being on his own was everything he ever imagined.  
  
After the initial shock of seeing Miranda standing at the door, soaked from the rain and seeming as though it didn't bother her, he brought her inside and had her sit down with him on his couch.  
  
"Miranda…what are you doing here?" he questioned.  
  
She knew that was to be his first question, because it wasn't everyday that his best friend who lives in California showed up at his New York apartment unexpected.  She simply shrugged her shoulders and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear saying, "would you believe, just passing by?"  
  
"Miranda…come on, tell me, what are you doing here?"  
  
"So, I wanted to see my best friend," she told him.  "Things haven't exactly been going my way back home.  I mean…things have just, changed."  
  
"But what about Lizzie?  I mean, if you wanted to see your best friend--"  
  
Miranda cut him off.  "What, a girl can't have more than one best friend?  You don't want me to turn to you?" she questioned him sarcastically.  
  
"You know what I mean.  Why come all the way to New York when you have someone right at home?"  
  
"I don't know…I just thought…" She sighed.  "Forget it," she told him as she got up.  "Maybe this was just a bad idea."  She grabbed her suitcase and headed back for the door.  
  
Gordo just watched her as made her way towards the exit.  He knew he couldn't let her go.  "Miranda, wait," he said to her as he grabbed a hold of her arm.  "Um, I like the hair."  
  
She looked at him puzzled.  "What?"  
  
"Uh, you're hair.  You…cut it.  I like it."  
  
She couldn't help but to look at him and just laugh for his mentioning of now chin-length hair.  "This is your sorry assed attempt to not let me leave?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much," Gordo told her as he shrugged, half smiling.  
  
"Ay Gordo," she shook her head as she laughed.  She smiled at him, letting go of her suitcase and asking, "what am I supposed to say to that?"  
  
"I don't know what you should say, but…" he began as he took his arms and wrapped them around Miranda.  "I'm glad to have my best friend here."  
  
***  
  
The next morning Gordo had woken up to an empty bed, which on any other occasion may have seemed normal, but the night before he and Miranda had agreed to share his bed because it had ample space and they believe that they had enough "self-control" to not let anything of the physical kind happen between them.  So, with that in mind, he at least hoped to wake up to his best friend's face lying next to him that morning--but didn't.  
  
He sat himself up in his bed and looked at the time on his alarm-radio; 10:57am.  It was a complete surprise to Gordo that he was able to sleep in for so long; peaceful night's sleep was not something he encountered often enough to allow him to sleep in and enjoy an extended period of rest.  
  
From his bathroom, he heard sounds that were quite un-pleasurable, floating into his bedroom.  He knew that it had to be Miranda, but it sounded as though she were throwing up massive amounts of food in his very bathroom.  Hearing her made him concerned as to why she could be in this condition and what might be wrong, but he didn't want to assume anything, especially when it could be really_ anything_; from the common flu to a combination of bad foods.  So he was not to jump to conclusions anytime soon.  
  
Gordo heard her wash up and turn off the bathroom's lights.  She was soon in his room, smiling at him and retreating back into the bed.  
  
He looked at her for a second before he made his way out of the bed.  
  
Shaking her head, Miranda sarcastically said, "Gordo, don't worry.  I could contain my wild 'sexual urges' for you."  She laughed.  
  
"N-no, it's just…" Gordo began, " I…"  He didn't finish his statement, but instead went into Miranda's suitcase, pulled out a pair of blue jeans, and a long-sleeved red shirt, and tossed both over to her on the best.  "Get dressed.  We're going out."  
  
"Wait…what?" she asked in confusion.  "Now?  Gordo, since when did you become mister spontaneity?"  
  
He just shook his head.  "Yes now.  And it's not really a spur of the moment thing anyway," he explained.  "I want you to go meet a friend of mine.  I've_ been_ wanting you to."  
  
"Guy friend? Or…gi-girlfriend?"  
  
"Girl friend Miranda.  As in, a friend that happens to be of the female sex?  Like you and me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Anyway, hurry up and change," he told her.  "While you do that, I'll be in the kitchen cookin' up…cereal."  
  
A slight smile came upon Miranda's face.  "OK, OK.  Give me a bit.  I'm kind of tired."  Gordo gave her a strange look for a second.  She quickly added, "not a morning person Gordo!"  
  
"Ok…but you don't want to miss my cookin'!  No one pours the milk like I do!" he explained to her as her gave her an extremely cheesy facial expression.  
  
"Yeah, yeah.  Of course," she smiled as he left.  He was just so…_interesting_ sometimes.  
  
***  
  
"So where does this, female, friend of yours live?" Miranda asked Gordo as they were on their way out to visit his previously mentioned friend.  
  
"You'll see," was what he said so simply as he opened his door.  
  
"Don't I need like, some sort of jacket or something?  I mean, it's December…and this _isn't _California."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Just come on," he told her as he finally got her outside in the building's hallway.  He turned her around and asked, "you see that apartment?"  Gordo was referring to the apartment right across from his own.  
  
"Yeah…is that where we are headed?"  Miranda's eyebrows immediately shot up.  "Your lady friend lives right across the hall from you and you two have secret late night rendezvous!"  
  
"There is no rendezvousing going on what-so-ever," he stated as he shook his head.  "Now, you see that apartment?  She _doesn't _live there…no rendezvousing.  She lives in the apartment below that."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Now come on, I want you two to finally meet."  
  
They walked right passed the elevator and to the stairs.  Miranda noticed and asked, "why no elevator?  We'd get there quicker."  
  
"The stairs, they give us more time to, _talk_," he explained.  She just smiled back as she looked forward and took her first step down to the lower steps that followed.  Hearing that reminded her how much she really did miss being able to talk to Gordo; it hadn't been the same since high school.  So many times she wish she could just go back to when times were better, for her anyway.  "Now…no pressure, but--you still haven't really told me what you're doing here."  
  
Miranda shrugged.  "Like I said, things haven't been exactly going too well lately," she began.  "For one, Michael and I are over.  Classic story you know?  Guys meets some other girl he wants to fuck and girlfriend gets left in the cold.   So yeah, he dumped me."  
  
"You do realize that Michael was the complete utter eminence of an idiot, right?"  
  
"Yeah," she chuckled.  
  
"I never liked the guy.  He…wasn't_ right_ for you.  You are better off without him, because you deserve so much more," he said to her as he looked a little over his shoulder, since she was a step behind him.  
  
"Yeah, yeah Gordo.  I'd expect you to say that.  Thanks though," Miranda thanked him giving him a half smile.  She then sighed.  "That's what a best friend _would_ say…isn't it?"  
  
"It's not what 'a best friend would say', it's the truth," he defended himself.  
  
She just shook her head once again, sighed, and let out a small chuckle.  "That's not even what I meant."  
  
Seconds later they were already standing in front of Gordo's "mystery" lady friend's apartment.  Gordo knocked several times until a young dark-haired woman, who was of about the same age as both he and Miranda, opened the door with a smile plastered on her face.  
  
"Gordo!  Hey, how are you?" she greeted him by giving him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
He returned the greeting and then responded by saying, "Surprisingly, very well."  He smiled.  "I would like you to meet my best friend from California…Miranda…Miranda Sanchez.  Miranda, this is Jenissa Reyes."  
  
"Hey, it's nice to meet you," Miranda smiled.  
  
Jenissa smiled and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek as she did with Gordo.  "I'm glad to finally meet you!  I've heard so much about you from Gordo over here," she giggled.  She suddenly realized that since she had greeted the two, they had not yet come into the apartment.  "Oh my god, guys, I'm so sorry.  Come in!  C'mon on in."  Miranda followed Gordo as he walked into the apartment and made his way onto the couch.  Jenissa closed the door behind her and made her way on the couch as well.  "So…you're the famous Miranda huh?  I don't even think I could begin to tell you how much I've heard about you!"  
  
Miranda looked next to her side, over at Gordo, and then back at Jenissa.  "Oh really?  What have you heard?"  
  
"Oh, he could not stop just going on and on about how he knows the amazing girl named Miranda, and how she was so full of life, and how she is just one of the most amazing people he's even knows, and…"  Janissa smiled as she looked Gordo, whose eyes were focused on the carpeted floor rather than on either of the girls.  "If I hadn't known any better, I would've thought…"  She then laughed.  
  
"OK!  OK!" Gordo said, almost shouting, glad that Janissa did not finish that statement.  "Can't blame a guy for talking about his best friend."  
  
Miranda laughed.  "I guess now I know what my friends have been going through when I keep telling them about Gordo."  
  
"You go to school in California, right?  UC…Berkeley?" Janissa asked.  Miranda nodded.  "Yeah, Gordo tells me that you are a music performance major and that you have an amazing voice."  
  
"Gordo's just exaggerating.  It's…good, I guess.  Good enough to get me into UC Berkeley's music program anyway," Miranda explained humbly.  
  
Janissa focused for a minute on Gordo, who sat there looking a bit uncomfortable.  She decided that maybe they should bring up something about him, maybe something that might spark up his attention.  
  
"So…" she began.  "You have any embarrassing details you would like to share about Gordo?" she laughed.  
  
"Oh…like you wouldn't believe," Miranda smiled.  "Has he ever told you about the time that he was complete obsessed over this game, Dwarf Lords?"  Janissa shook her head and laughed along with Miranda.  "Well, then let me tell you…"  
  
***  
  
"Where were you?"  Miranda asked back in the apartment, as Gordo entered with several envelopes in his hand.  They were back from Janissa's, and Gordo was only glad that Miranda didn't _completely_ embarrass him during her visit.  
  
"Mail," he simply said as he sorted through the envelopes.  "Hey, something from Lizzie…"  
  
"Oh, Gordo, I think I--"  
  
He cut her off when he noticed what it was; the wedding invitation.  "She's getting married…" he trailed off as he read through the frilly pink invitation.  "'Love is something to be cherished, and when you find it, it should be held on to and never have let go…Edward Curtis Thomas and Elizabeth Brooke McGuire would like you to share in their long awaited magical day…February 14th…7pm…'  I can't believe it."  
  
"Yeah…uh, she told me before I left…" Miranda started.  "She's, um, pregnant too."  
  
"Oh, wow.  I-I-I didn't expect that."  He took the invitation and put it back in it's envelope and then threw it on the coffee table.  "That's…good for her."  
  
"Gordo?  What's wrong?  You're not, you know?  Feeling weird about Lizzie getting married, since you guys _did_ go out once…are you?"  
  
"Oh, no!  No!  That's not it.  I mean, when we went out we both realized we'd rather just be friends…so it's not that."  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
"It's just, the whole, 'love and marriage' thing," Gordo began.  "I don't really believe in it too much."  
  
"Why?  How, could you not?" she questioned him.  
  
"Just 'cause.  I mean, look at your parents.  They seemed so happy until a few years ago, and now they are divorced.  And then _my_ parents.  Divorced like, a year after yours, and they can't even be civil about it.  So why get into a relationship, fall in love, and set yourself up for heartache and heartbreak?"  
  
"Gordo….how can you say something like that?  Yeah you end up heartbroken sometimes, but, other times, it lasts, and it's beautiful," Miranda began.  "Look at Lizzie's parents.  Or, hell, look at Lizzie!  She found Eddie, someone who she loves, and now they're having a baby and getting married.  What, do you think that's just fake?"  
  
"No, but if you want me to be honest, I don't think it'll last," he admitted.  
  
Disbelief was what Miranda was in, because she couldn't comprehend at all how her best friend could just say that he didn't believe in love and how he doubts Lizzie and Eddie's marriage would last.  "I don't even know how you could think something like that…"  
  
"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore, so could we just drop this?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever…" she sighed.  "So, um…what's up with you and Janissa?"  
  
"What do you mean, 'what's up' with me and Janissa?  I just told you how I don't believe in love and--"  
  
"Gordo, calm down…I'm not asking if you guys are 'in love' or whatever.  I just want to know…"  she paused for a second.  "What's up with you guys?"  
  
"Nothing.  She's a friend, and she's in a lot of my classes, and…that's all."  
  
"Would you like to…I don't know…get to know her more?" Miranda asked, thinking of something.  
  
He looked a bit confused as he asked, "what do you mean?"  
  
"Well…once sec," she said right before she walked into the bedroom, pulled out her Marc Anthony _Todo A Su Tiempo_ CD from her suitcase, and walked into the living room.  She took the CD and placed it in Gordo's stereo system, looked for number eight, "Hasta Ayer", and then set it on pause.  "C'mon," she told him as she grabbed both of his hands.  
  
"What are you doing?" he questioned.  
  
"Don't you trust me?"  
  
"Right now…no."  
  
Miranda laughed.  "Well, OK.  While I was looking around her apartment I couldn't help but notice that she was a dancer.  So…I decided, why not teach you some dance steps so you cold impress your lady friend with them?"  
  
"Miranda, I'm not exactly the best dancer…and what ever happened to you being mad at me?" he asked.  
  
"Please, I wasn't mad at you, I just didn't _agree_ with you.  I still don't.  But that's not going to stop me from being a friend and teaching you a thing or two about dancing…salsa!" she explained to him as she hit the play button on the stereo system.  The music began to play as she took Gordo's right hand, and placed it on her waist, then she took her left hand and placed it on his right shoulder, then took her right hand and his left and intertwined them.  
  
"You are something else, you know that?"  
  
"Yeah, I know," she laughed.  "Now come on.  Take your right foot forward, and I'll take my left foot back.  Then, you take your left foot forward and then I'll take my right foot back.  Then you take your right foot back and…"  She went on to further explain the rest of the steps to Gordo as he tried to follow his best without stepping on her feet.  They laughed tremendously as he tried his best to follow the steps she had taught him and keep pace with the music.  To both her and his surprise, after awhile he was actually able to get pretty good.  
  
"Hey, I'm actually getting hang of this," he laughed as he stepped forward.  
  
"Yeah, you are!  No more two left feet," she laughed as well.  She stepped back and then forward once more, swinging her hips to the music, giggling as Gordo did the same.  It took her seeing it to be able to believe it; how well her best friend was actually getting at dancing salsa, something that he had no clue of being able to dance, after just a few minutes.  "Hmm, maybe you'll be able to teach Janissa a thing or two Gordo.  She'll be, impressed."  She swung him around.  "I…I…"  Suddenly she stopped and took her hand and placed it on her head, feeling a bit lightheaded.  
  
"Miranda..?"  
  
"I…"  Unfortunately, she wasn't able to finish what she was going to say, when she collapsed, Gordo grabbing her before she could hit the ground.  
  
"Miranda!  Miranda!"  
  
He got no response.  
  
  



	3. St Vincent's Hospital

im back again... yup... did yall miss me? maybe not... ah well. i kno, long long break. school screws everyone over. chapter 3 is here... pretty short... but it has its huge bomb to be dropped.. so dont worry... lol..  
  
anyways, i STILL own NADA!!!!! **  
**  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
"Hello, Ms. Sanchez? It's Gordo…"  
  
As much as Gordo tried to get her consciousness back, he wasn't able to get Miranda to respond to him. With quickness he called 9-1-1 urging for an ambulance to come as soon as possible. Within two minutes, one arrived, ready to rush them over to St. Vincent's Hospital on West 11th street.  
  
And that was where they were now. Waiting for _any_ word on Miranda's condition was Gordo in the waiting area, getting in touch with her mother on his cell phone to let her know what was going on.  
  
"Hello Gordo, how are you?" Daniella greeted him warmly.  
  
"Um, I'm fine. I'm fine…" he began. "But, uh, I'm calling about Miranda."  
  
"Have you heard from her?" she asked with concern. "She…left for New York yesterday. She didn't tell me where she would be staying, or how long she would be gone…she, just left." She paused. "Gordo, if you've heard from her…please tell me."  
  
"I, I have. I have. She's staying with me."  
  
On the other end Ms. Sanchez sighed in relief. "Thank you, you don't know how much better it makes me feel to know that she's staying with you. I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I knew that she was just out there, wandering around the city or just in some hotel."  
  
"Well, I think maybe you should sit down for this," Gordo began. "She was just rushed to the hospital. I'm here too…the doctor's are taking a look at her."  
  
"What happened? Is she OK? Please Gor--"  
  
He cut her off as he continued to explain. "We were dancing…and I guess she felt weak, or lightheaded, or something…and, she just, fainted. I-I-I don't know why, but she just did. I called an ambulance right away and they rushed us over here to St. Vincent's. They're in with her right now, but I don't know what's wrong…they--"  
  
This time it was her that cut him off. "OK, OK Gordo. It's OK. Just…just stay with her--_please_. And inform me when you hear anything…"  
  
"OK, don't worry Ms. Sanchez…I won't leave her side. Trust me."  
  
"I know you won't." She took a second. "_Thank_ you for calling me."  
  
"I won't let anything happen to her, don't worry. She'll, be OK," Gordo reassured his best friend's mother before ending the phone conversation. "She'll be OK," he had to tell himself as well, because he wasn't too sure if he believed it himself when he said it the first time around. The truth was, he didn't know what to believe. Never had he seen Miranda this sick, or in such a condition, that resulted in her being rushed to the hospital. As a best friend, he was concerned…and as someone who cared about her deeply, he couldn't help but be scared.  
  
***  
  
About two and a half hours had passed since Gordo had made the phone call to Ms. Sanchez, telling her about her daughter's condition. At this point in time he was with his back to the wall while seated on the floor outside of Miranda's hospital room, room number 812 on the eighth floor, waiting for the doctors to un-occupy the room and give him permission to go inside to see her. Upon the second hour of her arrival to the hospital Miranda had been moved to a room.  
  
As he stared at his cell phone, which was off because hospital rules did not permit for it to be on in or near any patients room, Gordo was deep within his thoughts about what was going on. Seriously he could not understand what was going on and why it was happening. Many conclusion started to draw up in his head, trying to find answers and conclusions. Carefully he thought back to earlier that morning when he had heard Miranda throwing up in the bathroom so violently, and wondered why he hadn't seen it then.  
  
"Excuse me son," an older female doctor said to him, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm Dr. Roseburg."  
  
Quickly Gordo looked up, after being a bit startled, noticing the doctor with half a sympathetic smile on her face. "Um, hi. Hi," he began as he started to get up from the floor. "Is--Is Miranda alright?"  
  
"Don't worry, she's in good hands. This hospital is the best," the doctor assured him. "You're Gordo, right?" He nodded. "She's been asking for you. Why don't you go in and see her?"  
  
"Do you know why she passed out? And why she's been throwing up and feeling--"  
  
Placing her hand on his arm, Dr. Roseburg stopped him short and responded, "I think Miranda herself would rather explain what's going on to you than have me do it. So why don't you head inside and she could explain some things…"  
  
After taking a quick glance into the room, looking over at Miranda, Gordo looked back at the doctor and thanked her before making his way inside the room.  
  
"Gordo, hey…" Miranda greeted him with a smile as she removed her respirator. Even though she had been on a respirator and had an IV attached to her arm, she still managed to force a smile on her face. That was the funny thing about her, she was still about to put a smile on her face at times, even when everything around her was deteriorating.  
  
"Hey…" he greeted her as he took up a seat next to her bed and then took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "I called your mom. I told her you're OK. I didn't want to worry her…" Gordo looked at Miranda and saw her mouth a thank you to him. He smiled back slightly at her and began stroking her hand. "Miranda…what's going on? I heard you throwing up this morning. And now this…you just fainting out of nowhere?" He paused for a second, looking down and then bringing his sight back up to her eyes. "You complained about being tired before and…if I didn't know any better…Miranda--are you, pregnant?"  
  
Tears engulfed Miranda's eyes after her best friend brought up the possibility. Thoughts and memories of the past couple of months raced through her mind and she couldn't bear to think about any of them. "God Gordo…if it were only that simple…if it were only that simple…"  
  
"No, no…you can get through this…a baby is--"  
  
Miranda cut him off, not allowing him to go any further with his thoughts. "Gordo, I'm not pregnant…I'm not. I…I…I have breast cancer…"  
  
The words hit Gordo like a pile of bricks. Breast cancer. His best friend, someone who he never imagined could be weakened by anything, was diagnosed with cancer. He couldn't believe it. A million thoughts raced through his mind about what Miranda had just confessed to him. It was like a bomb had just gone of and he had no control over it. She was crying right in front of him, and he had no way to control her tears.  
  
"Miranda…Oh my god…It'll be OK…" he told her as he took her hand a kissed it. "It'll be OK," he once again reassured her. Quickly he took her in his arms into an embrace. He didn't want to let go, he just wanted to make sure that she felt safe and cared for. In his mind he told himself that he needed to protect her and not let anything happen to her now. He couldn't let anything happen to her. "I'm here for you…I'm here for you…I'm not leaving your side…"  
  



End file.
